Sunday, January 23, 2005

A stronger DFL "Brand"

Last week at a DFL meet-up I ran into a very frustrated DFL supporter. He said something to the effect that people, including himself, don't know what the DFL really stands for anymore --that it's always reacting instead being pro-active. But listening to him talk about the issues led me to conclude that he really did know what the DFL stands for -- fairness, justice and honesty. The majority of people volunteering for the DFL know that.

The problem is our state party leaders either don't zealously embrace those principles, or they and their staff are not very good at communicating them or translating them into action. I don't know all of our state leadership well enough to know how zealously they embrace these core values. I know Sen. Mark Dayton is very passionate about these values. I know Paul Wellstone was very passionate about these values. I know Peter Idusogie who is running for DFL state director is passionate about these values.

Assuming for the moment that the DFL leadership, staff, and its candidates do embrace these values, it's safe to say they are not communicating them very effectively. The DFL needs be better at articulating the "brand" that its passionate volunteers represent so well. Action speaks louder than words. So passing legislation that reflected those values would leave no doubt about where the DFL stood. But for various reasons, that doesn't happen. One reason Democrats do not promote their brand as zealously as Republicans promote "no tax increases" is the DFL/Democrat brand has not been articulated and maintained properly. A well articulated, strong brand can give our elected leaders the political capital to take action. If every voter understood that our party stood for fairness, justice and honesty we would be the majority party instead of the minority.

It sounds like a bit of a catch-22. If the DFL/Democrats have a weak brand, they can't take action. But the only way to take action is to have a strong brand. We can break that cycle. We need candidates and elected leaders who have courage to take action. We need a state party leadership that sets the tone through internal and external communication articulating those core values. That is where you, I and other DFL volunteers can start. Hold our state party leaders accountable.

Sometime in February, the DFL State Central Committee will be electing directors that influence the course of our party for the next two years. Please support Peter Idusogie for State Director. He is going to demand these types of changes. Contact your Senate District chair and ask him/her to vote for Peter. Ask for the name and contact information of the other delegates from your district and urge them to do the same.